The nation's capital, Mexico City (Ciudad de México), is situated in the Anáhuac Valley at a height of more than 2,200 meters and is encircled by powerful mountain ranges. The site of the city is stunning; Popocatépetl and Iztacchuatl, two majestic volcanoes clad in snow, tower over it at heights of more than 5,000 meters.
The city has preserved innumerable artifacts from its past, but since the Spanish Conquistadors founded their new city on the remains of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, pre-Columbian art and architecture only survive in isolated fragments and museum replicas. Several of the magnificent Baroque churches and mansions constructed during this early stage of colonization still stand today.
The historic city center (Centro Histórico de la Ciudad), a 15-square-kilometer UNESCO World Heritage Site housing more than 1,400 significant buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries, is where most of Mexico City's best tourist attractions and popular activities are located. This is true despite the fact that the city is large in both population and area. This is one of the best locations in Mexico for tourists to come because they can easily appreciate both the city's Aztec and Spanish colonial pasts.
Our list of Mexico City's top attractions will help you find even more things to do in this bustling city.
1. The Zócalo, the site of the Constitution's drafting
Zócalo, also known as Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Square), is the beating center of Mexico City and the site of the 1813 proclamation of the nation's first constitution. It is one of the largest squares in the world, measuring about 240 meters in each direction, and was constructed nearly soon after Tenochtitlán, the site of the former Aztec city, was conquered.
The area has been utilized for festivals, parades, and demonstrations since since it was first used as a bullring and market in the early days of colonization.
Zócalo is the ideal starting point for visiting this ancient city because it is dominated by three of the most popular tourist destinations in the area: the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor with its Aztec artifacts.
Hot Tip: The Secretara de Educación Pblica, located near Zócalo, features three floors of murals by renowned artist Diego Rivera (education ministry). Entrance is free Second, the National Museum of Anthropology
2. the National Museum of Anthropology
The National Museum of Anthropology, one of the most significant institutions of its kind in the world, is located in Chapultepec Park and is easy to spot because to the enormous monolithic sculpture that stands guard at its entrance.
The Central Patio, which is part of a massive stone shelter supported by an 11-meter-tall column with waterfalls symbolizing the eternal cycle of life, is famed for its magnificent displays of old Indian art treasures. This strikingly successful example of contemporary architecture, which was built in 1964, is also known for its other notable features.
The structure itself is magnificent, but its extensive collection is even more impressive. It contains artifacts from extinct Indian cultures as well as information on the daily lives of present-day Indian residents of Mexico.
Other notables include the National Library of Anthropology, which was established by Emperor Maximilian in 1831 and houses more than 300,000 rare books.
3. Tenochtitlán's Great Pyramid and the Templo Mayor
Despite extensive destruction following the Aztecs' fall, a few of their significant historic sites have recently been discovered and put on display. The most significant location is Templo Mayor, where you can find the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán's ruins, including the first artifact found in 1978—a beautifully sculpted round disc with a diameter of more than three meters and a weight of eight and a half tons.
Further investigations revealed the temple site had been reconstructed 11 times by the Aztecs and their forebears, including the summit platform of an older pyramid with well-preserved temple walls and the skulls of sacrificed victims.
A walk past the area of the aristocratic "winged warriors," where the remnants of homes decorated with multicolored reliefs have been discovered along with proof of the original paintwork, is a highlight of any visit.
Hot Tip: The National Museum of Anthropology, located nearby and largely regarded as the most significant museum in Mexico, and the Museum of the Templo Mayor, erected on the site of the temple, are where the vast bulk of the items and relics discovered are kept.
4.The Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes), one of Mexico City's most significant cultural buildings, is a masterpiece of architecture. This enormous marble structure, which towers over the nearby park and was built in 1934, was designed by Italian architect Adamo Boari with Art Nouveau and Art Deco influences. Despite efforts to lighten it by removing a portion of its enormous dome, the building is so heavy that it has sunk more than four meters.
Many local and foreign dance and operatic productions are presented in the palace's concert hall and opera theater. But a large number of visitors also come to see the magnificent murals painted inside by well-known artists like Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente.
The Museo Nacional de Arquitectura, which features changing exhibits on modern architecture, is located on the fourth floor.
Hot Tip: If you have the opportunity to attend a performance here, you'll also be rewarded with the opportunity to admire the theater's exquisite interior design, which includes its magnificent glass-mosaic curtain, created by Tiffany's of New York and featuring the Valley of Mexico and its two imposing volcanoes.
5. Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City
One of the oldest and largest churches in the Western Hemisphere, the enormous Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de Mara) dominates Zócalo square. This enormous basalt and grey sandstone building's construction, which lasted over 250 years, was built on top of a portion of the former Aztec temple complex.
Although the two neoclassical towers and certain other elements, the façade's huge twisted columns give it a distinctly Baroque appearance. The 1793 bell tower additions and the 1813 statues of Charity, Hope, and Faith on the clock tower are notable elements.
The inside of the cathedral likewise displays a blending of architectural forms, with the lavishly carved Altar of the Kings (Altar de los Reyes) from 1739 and its exquisite devotional picture of the Assumption (Asunción de Mara), to whom the cathedral is dedicated, standing out in particular.
Also of significance are a church containing the bones of Mexican Emperor Agustin de Iturbide, and the crypt with the tombs of several of the city's archbishops, among them Juan de Zumárraga, the famous teacher of the Indians and the first incumbent of the seat.
6.The National Palace
The enormous National Palace (Palacio Nacional), made of reddish tezontle stone and showcasing a 200-meter-long façade, is located on the east side of Mexico City's central square, Zócalo. It serves as the president's official residence.
Situated on top of an Aztec palace, it served as the Spanish viceroys' residence during the colonial era and has undergone extensive renovations and expansion throughout time. One of the city's oldest and most beautiful structures, it is renowned for having the Freedom Bell within, which was rang on September 15, 1810, to signal the beginning of the War of Independence and is still rung annually on that date.
The palace's 14 courtyards are home to a number of elegant apartments, some of which are open to tourists. The arched Grand Courtyard, which features beautiful murals illuminating the nation's rich history, is the palace's most noteworthy feature. Don't miss Diego Rivera's fresco on the grand staircase, The History of Mexico.
Guided tours in English visit a museum, many sizable halls, and the parliamentary chamber where the Reform Constitution of 1857 was drafted (it and the Constitution of 1917 are on display).
There are also the State Archives, which houses significant historical records, and the Biblioteca Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, one of the biggest libraries in the nation.
7.Chapultepec Park
Mexico City's main park, Bosque de Chapultepec, is also its largest, with a total area of more than four square kilometers. Originally a Toltec stronghold, the Aztecs landed here around AD 1200 and, according to mythology, established a park here in the early 15th century.
The hill evolved into the summer house of the Aztec kings throughout time, and an aqueduct, the remnants of which can still be seen in Avenida Chapultepec, was built to transport water from its springs to the temple precinct in the city. The hill's slopes were used to chisel portraits of the Aztec kings, some of which can still be seen.
The park is now well-known for its lakes, sporting facilities, botanic garden, museums (including the National Museum of Anthropology and the National History Museum), as well as a variety of entertaining events including concerts and plays.
The Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno), which was founded in 1964 and is noteworthy for its retrospective examination of Mexican art before and during the colonial era as well as its collection of paintings and sculpture by Mexican artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, is also of interest.
Furthermore present is the Chapultepec Zoo, which houses an astonishing variety of species from all over the world.
8. The Angel of Independence and the Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City's main east-west thoroughfare, runs for 15 kilometers from Tlatelolco to the residential neighborhood of Las Lomas, although it's most famous for its section from Avenida Benito Juárez to Chapultepec Park.
This charming boulevard widens to 60 meters at this point, with a beautiful green strip in the middle that is home to monuments and busts of many national heroes. The grand Independence Monument (Monumento a la Independencia), also known as "El Angel" for the figure of a winged goddess of victory perched atop its tall 36-meter column, is one of several significant attractions located along this magnificent avenue, which was constructed during the reign of Emperor Maximilian.
The Mausoleum, which contains numerous skulls of some of the most significant historical people in the nation, is in addition to its beautiful statues of the heroes of the country's independence movement.
9. National Museum of History
The National History Museum is another top site in Mexico City (Museo Nacional de Historia). The museum, which opened in 1944 and is housed in the 18th-century Chapultepec Castle (Castillo de Chapultepec), on land that was formerly home to Aztec structures and later a Spanish hermitage, is home to an impressive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and replicas of ancient manuscripts, as well as a wide variety of exhibits illuminating the history of Mexico since the Spanish conquest
10. The Frida Kahlo Museum and Coyoacan
Coyoacán, one of Mexico City's oldest neighborhoods, is laced with evocative cobblestone lanes. Spend some time strolling through the network of laneways in this area and discovering the secret plazas, homes decorated in colonial style, and historic churches, including San Juan Bautista.
At the markets, you may also sample exotic fruits and vegetables. The Frida Kahlo Museum in La Casa Azul (The Blue House), where the well-known Mexican artist was born and regularly visited during her life, is one of the town's major tourist destinations. See some of her most significant works here, together with paintings by her well-known husband, the muralist Diego Rivera, and sentimental objects from the couple's life. Remember that buying tickets in advance is recommended.
The full-day Mexico City Super Saver Tour is a convenient way to visit all the sights in Coyoacán. This 11-hour journey starts with a guided tour of the area, which includes stops at the Frida Kahlo Museum and North America's oldest university. It also includes a boat tour along the canals of the Xochimilco natural reserve, which is placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
11. Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica
The Roman Catholic Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Basilica de Nuestra Seora de Guadalupe), which is said to have drawn its first pilgrims when it originally opened in 1531, draws millions of tourists and worshipers every year, especially on the Feast Day on December 12.
The site, which was built next to the hill where the Virgin Mary is rumored to have appeared, is made up of a collection of structures that look out onto a large public square that is decorated with a variety of intriguing modern sculptures, including a sizable concrete cross with a distinctive clock and chime.
Attractions include a magnificent altarpiece honoring Mary in the Old Basilica from the sixteenth century and the 1976-built New Basilica de Guadalupe, which is distinguished by its distinctly contemporary curving form.
12.Alameda Central
Alameda Central was constructed in 1592 on the site of an active Aztec market. It is a shaded, impeccably maintained park with numerous magnificent fountains and sculptures. Even now, it is a busy place, especially during Christmas when it is exquisitely decked and lit up. The magnificent Palacio de Bellas Artes, which is next to the park, organizes notable art exhibitions as well as musical and dramatic acts.
13. Santiago de Tlatelolco and the Plaza of Three Cultures
The Square of the Three Cultures is another significant historic square in Mexico City (Plaza de las Tres Culturas). The square stands where the main square of the pre-Columbian town of Tlatelolco formerly stood. In 1521, here, the Aztecs made their final desperate struggle, for which a memorial tablet has been erected.
Its unique combination of structures from three different eras—Aztec pyramids and temples, a Spanish church, and contemporary tower blocks—gives the area its name. A variety of subsidiary pyramids, platforms, staircases, walls, altars, a "tzompantli," a wall of skulls, and exquisite reliefs of Aztec calendar signs are among the various Aztec ruins in addition to the main pyramid.
The memorial museum Memorial 68, which honors the tragic shooting deaths of some 250 student protesters by government troops in 1968, is also located in the square.
Another noteworthy structure is the Santiago de Tlatelolco Baroque Church, which was constructed in the early 17th century on the site of a tiny chapel from 1535 that belonged to the Santiago Franciscan monastery. One of the old convent structures next to the church was once the Colegio Imperial de Santa Cruz, where the Franciscans educated the talented Aztec nobility sons. Bernardino de Sahagn, the famous historian of New Spain, was among the most notable instructors there.
14.The House of Tiles
The magnificent House of Tiles is located in opposition to the charming Church of San Francisco (Casa de los Azulejos). It was first constructed in 1596, and the Conde del Valle de Orizaba added beautiful blue and white Puebla tiles on the façade 150 years later.
After José Clemente Orozco painted murals on the staircase's walls in 1925, it gained even more notoriety. The House of Tiles is now a restaurant and a moving location to eat outside in the magnificent courtyard of the house, which is encircled by what is effectively one very enormous work of art.
Hot Tip: Pay close attention to the sizable photograph identifying the location where Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata shared a meal after arriving in Mexico City.
15. Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo Museums
The Museo Rufino Tamayo, which bears the name of one of Mexico's most well-known artists, Rufino Tamayo (1900–91), is just a short stroll from the National Museum of Anthropology. The gallery, known for its distinctive atmosphere, debuted in 1981 and exhibits Tamayo's works alongside several hundred of his own significant holdings of modern art, including wall hangings, prints, paintings, and sculptures.
Museo Mural is a significant art center worth seeing. After years of being outlawed by the government, the painting Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park, in which one of Mexico's most well-known artists, Diego Rivera, caricatured several historical people, is now on exhibit (Rivera had originally called it Dios no existe, or God does not exist).
16.Museo Soumaya
A visit to the Museo Soumaya is a must on any trip to Mexico City. Carlos Slim, one of the richest men in the world, founded this future architectural mind-meld, and he gave it the name "Soumaya" in honor of his late wife. More than 66,000 works of art, spanning 3,000 years and ranging from Mesoamerican sculptures to Tintoretto and Salvador Dali pieces, are housed there.
Aerial views of "trajineras" at the Nativitas canal pier in Xochimilco, a network of canals and floating gardens that is one of Mexico City's top tourist attractions, after its reopening, yesterday amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
— AFP Photo (@AFPphoto) August 24, 2020
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Up until 2011, the non-profit cultural landmark was based in San Angel's Plaza Loreto. It was relocated to a brand-new structure in Nuevo Polanco's Plaza Carso that Mexican architect Fernando Romero constructed. The 170,000 square foot, silver, reflecting edifice is a design accomplishment unto itself. It is angular like a ship's hull yet pinched at the center like an hourglass.
But inside, the actual works of art continue. Although there is a sizable collection of indigenous Mexican art, the most of the pieces date from the 15th to the 20th century. Slim is the owner of the world's greatest private collection of Auguste Rodin's work, as well, and the museum holds the largest collection of casts of his sculptures outside of France.
17. Tour the Polanco District
Polanco is the top choice when it comes to the original "in" location in Mexico City. This posh, pricey district has always been known for its high fashion, upscale restaurants, and luxurious hotels. There are many stores and eateries in the area, as well as a section of Chapultepec Park.
Polanco unquestionably tops the list of the most upscale travel destinations in Latin America. The neighborhood's primary artery is the Avenida Presidente Masaryk, which is sometimes likened to the 5th Avenue of Mexico City. It's easy to see why when you witness art museum after art gallery, excellent eating after fine dining, shopping malls, and stunning hotels.
All the major brands, from Hugo Boss to Carolina Herrera, can be found in the Antara Fashion Hall. Also, you can go to the Siqueiros Public Art Room, where the muralist David Siquieros organizes workshops, conferences, seminars, and exhibitions. You can also stop by Chapultepec Park for a charming little picnic in the afternoon. Make a reservation at the renowned Pujol restaurant in the evening before going to the Telcel Theatre to see a Spanish-language production of a classic Broadway show.
18.Travel to Teotihuacan
The archeological zone at Teotihuacan provides a wealth of information about the history of Mexico's founding and is undoubtedly one of the city's most culturally and historically significant locations.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site was first inhabited around 400 BCE and eventually developed into one of the most important cities in the area. While there are many hypotheses about past tribes that may have aided in the city's expansion, it is still unknown how the city came to be. The city was claimed by the Aztecs in the 15th century, who gave it the name Teotihuacan.
There are currently 2,000 single-story apartment complexes, pyramids, temples, and palaces that make up the eight square miles of Teotihuacan that once existed. It is well-known for having the Sun and Moon Pyramids, which are both famous. The greatest building in Teotihuacan, the Pyramid of the Sun, is around 720 feet by 760 feet in size and faces west.
Human and animal sacrifice was a common practice among Teotihuacan priests. In reality, 18 sacrificed victims were found buried near some of the temples, including the Pyramid of the Moon.
Teotihuacan can now be visited independently or as a part of a tour. Less than 30 miles separate the archeological site from Mexico City..
Highlights include portraits of significant figures from Mexican history, a number of state carriages, including those driven by Benito Juárez and Emperor Maximilian, as well as weapons, armor, documents, maps, and plans from the Conquest and its immediate aftermath. There are also items from three centuries of ceramics, clothing, jewelry, and coins.
The neoclassical-styled apartments that Maximilian and Charlotte live in, which contain items from Europe, are also fascinating. The castle also provides stunning city views.